In this interview Nancy Berbank, creative producer of Gorilla Circus, discusses RPM, Gorilla’s new show that will be performed at the Ventnor Fringe Festival on the Isle of Wight Friday 18th and Saturday 19th July.
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RPM—which stands for “Revolutions Per Minute”—is a captivating outdoor and indoor circus-theatre production by the UK-based contemporary circus company Gorilla Circus . At its heart, the show is built around a striking central set piece: a giant motorised treadmill that becomes the stage for a high-energy blend of acrobatics, street dance, spoken word, and roller-skating. This structure embodies the theme of RPM—the sense of being trapped in cycles of history and progress, questioning whether the UK has truly confronted its colonial past.
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RPM dives into the tragic, comic, and often absurd aspects of modern British society by drawing unexpected parallels between contemporary events—like the 2011 London riots and the Black Lives Matter movement—and historical legacies . The production was co-created with choreographer Brooke Milliner and dramaturg Sara Myers, and consulted by historian Onyeka Nubia. With a cast of five performers (plus technicians), audience members are treated to thrill-inducing stunts—gravity-defying flips, skates, spoken pieces—that urge reflection on how colonialism’s aftermath still shapes our societal structures today.
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Touring nationally and in Europe in both festival and theatre settings, the show is suitable for ages 7 and up (parental discretion advised for scenes including gunshot/suggested violence)
The Ventnor Fringe Festival runs from July 18th to 27th. For more information visit https://vfringe.co.uk/